Norway & Svalbard Svalbard
Norway’s high-Arctic archipelago, halfway between the mainland and the North Pole: glaciers, polar bears, walrus and the world’s northernmost town.
Tromsø: things to see
Three sights in town, two natural spectacles and two classic days out.
1. Arctic Cathedral
The white, tent-shaped Ishavskatedralen of 1965 stands across the bridge in Tromsdalen, its eleven concrete panels echoing ice and boathouses, with a huge stained-glass window at the east end. Midnight-sun and northern-lights concerts are held in season.
2. Fjellheisen cable car
A four-minute ride from Tromsdalen to the Storsteinen ledge, 421 metres up, for the classic view over the island, the bridge and the mountains of Kvaløya. Go at dusk in winter, or near midnight in June. A stone stairway, the Sherpa steps, climbs the same slope for free.
3. Polar Museum and Polaria
The Polar Museum, in an 1830s customs warehouse on the quay, tells the hard story of trapping, sealing and the expeditions of Amundsen and Nansen. Polaria, a short walk south, is an Arctic aquarium with bearded seals and a panoramic film. Both are small and can be combined.
4. Northern lights
Tromsø is one of the most reliable places in the world for aurora, from about September to early April. The lights can be seen from town on strong nights, but coastal cloud is frequent, so guided chases drive inland to find clear sky. Solar activity is unpredictable; darkness and clear weather matter most.
5. Whale watching at Skjervøy
Each winter, shoals of herring bring orcas and humpback whales into the fjords of northern Troms. In recent years the animals have gathered around Skjervøy, about three hours north of Tromsø, between roughly November and late January. Choose operators that follow whale-watching guidelines and keep their distance.
6. Kvaløya and Sommarøy
West of town, the island of Kvaløya is a miniature of northern Norway — fjords, sharp peaks, fishing hamlets and reindeer on the road — ending at the white coral-sand beaches of Sommarøy. It is an easy half-day by rental car or minibus tour all year.
7. Lyngen Alps
A wall of glaciated peaks rising to more than 1,800 metres straight from the fjord, about 1.5–2 hours east of Tromsø including a short ferry. Known for ski touring in spring, the blue lake Blåisvatnet in summer and snowmobile and aurora trips in winter.
Destinations
Combine it with
Norway & Svalbard 
Norway & Svalbard Alta & Hammerfest
Finnmark’s two western towns: Alta for stable aurora weather, rock art and an ice hotel; Hammerfest for a harbour on the edge of the Barents Sea.
Norway & Svalbard North Cape
A 307-metre cliff at 71° north where Europe’s road network ends and the Barents Sea begins — reached from the fishing port of Honningsvåg.
Plan your trip
Book tours in Tromsø
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